Decorate On A Budget - Paint Your Light Fixtures and Save

If you are wanting to decorate, and that budget is really tight, then here is another great way to change your decor and make a significant impact!

Paint your light fixtures

Lights can make or break a rooms decor. Have you ever gone to a house that was stuck in another era? It may have a great chandelier, which have made a huge come back, but it is shiny gaudy brass, or pitted and dull silver. Or maybe the bulbs are not the best anymore, since there are money saving energy efficient chandelier bulbs on the market now that look more chic.

Either way, to replace these fixtures can cost a pretty penny, so why not upgrade them with paint? To decorate on the cheap, you have to think outside the box. This will be a win/win for you and the environment, as you will not be throwing another fixture into the landfill.

Here is what you do:

1. Turn off the power to the light and take it down. If it is a large chandelier, make sure you have some help, as these can be quite heavy.

2. Take it apart the best you can, such as bulbs or globes, or anything you don't want painted, and use painters tape for things you can't take off.

Krylon Has Great Metal Paints

3. After research at your local hardware paint section, you should have found spray paints that will work on light fixtures, such as metal paints and primers, there is a brand name that I use and works well it is Krylon, they make a great assortment of paints. You can get a paint in a brushed metal look, these are brilliant on light fixtures as well as all cabinet hardware etc. You can go nuts with these paints!

4. After a good clean, take the primer and on a protected surface lightly prime your light fixture (If it is super shiny give it a quick sand, just to knock off some of the shine, it helps the primer stick better). Do two coats of primer, then let dry, before coating with the top coat.

5. Let the fixture dry, then put all the pieces back on. Replace the bulbs if you can with higher efficiency ones, and clean any glass globes, then re-install your light fixture.

That is all there is to it. To decorate on a budget, quite often means more time on your part than money, but you can make a huge impact just by changing the color of your light fixture. With the brushed metal look being popular right now, you can create what will look like a new fixture.

Decorate on a budget, by taking stock of your rooms, and see just what an impact you can make, and just what you can paint. These new paints, don't leave brush marks or spray marks, they look very realistic. So, if you think just because you are decorating on a budget, that you can't make a huge difference in a room with paint then you are wrong. Freshly painted walls, and painted light fixtures, and can make a place look brand new for less than you think.